Barrier by D.C Renfroe – Q&A and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What books/authors have influenced your writing?

Jude Deveraux is my favorite author. I love the way she tells a love story. She definitely influenced the relationship between Claire and Tucker. Her love stories start out with two people hating each other, or at least a dislike for each other, then discovering love along the way. I love feeling the struggle between the two characters as they fight to accept the fact that they love each other.

Tell us something you hate doing.

Pumping gas, it’s the worst. Don’t ask me how many times I’ve run out of gas avoiding the gas station.

What’s your pet peeve?

There are so many, it’s a problem. But just to name a few, I can’t handle an unmade bed. Or dropping things on the kitchen counter. Just put that stuff where it goes! It also drives me crazy when people can’t properly navigate a four-way stop sign.

When you are in writer mode, music or no music? If music, do
you have a playlist?

Definitely music. More specifically, ear-buds that block out the rest of the world. The playlist depends on the scene I am writing. Rock and Roll for action scenes, Hip Hop for sexy scenes, slow Jazz for tear-jerkers.

Have you ever had one character you wanted to go one way with but after the book was done the character was totally different?

Fallen. A character from Barrier. She starts out with a small role. She ends up with this great funny sarcastic humor that I love. I loved her so much, she evolved into a more significant role in the story.

When Claire Luna is kidnapped and taken to a remote island, her predictable life is torn to shreds. She thought she understood grief, loss and loneliness. But nothing prepared her for the island.

Tucker Knight had his world turned upside down when he was a young teen. He’d known love, security and normality. But things changed, and somehow he lost his innocence along the way.

Barrier takes you on a compelling, thrilling and sometimes brutal journey of Claire and Tucker, who in a bid to control their destiny, must learn about trust and submission. And also about love.

The island is under the control of Dr. Stephen Bell, a scientist obsessed with the secrets of humanity through genetic engineering. Claire is part of his obsession, and quickly comprehends Bell’s twisted intentions. She is forced to decide between submission and life-altering consequences. In her desperate attempt to survive, Claire surprises Bell and Tucker with her strength to fight.

But, can she trust Tucker? Is he her enemy or her savior? Claire understands that to surrender means to survive, but can she endure? Tucker can’t help but be enamored by the spirited and determined Claire, but to survive, he must face and overcome his haunting past. Up until Claire’s arrival on the island, he had never thought himself capable, or deserving, but perhaps this was his chance to finally do the right thing.

Check out the main characters in the book:

Claire Luna: Orphaned at a young age, Claire was forced to grow up and take care of herself. She is fiercely independent, and speaks her mind, even when she shouldn’t. Claire is stubborn to a fault, which creates more struggles in her life than necessary. She refuses to stand quietly while Bell attempts to force her into submission. She stands tall and proud, even in unbearable circumstances.

Tucker Knight: has spent most of his life under Bell’s thumb. He has enormous guilt for the things he has done while on the island. As a result, his most desperate act is to prevent someone else’s death. He has seen horrible things done by Bell, and understands consequence all too well. He struggles with the yearning to give Claire what she wants most, freedom. And keeping her safe from the horrible things Bell will do to her.

In an attempt to protect Claire, he keeps secrets. Secrets that prevent Claire from trusting him. They also prevent him from trusting himself.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

I’m stubborn, strong to a fault, and fiercely independent, especially when I shouldn’t be. I’ve had to learn my way around this world sooner than most. Circumstance made sure of that. It’s true my life has been burdened with difficulty. I’m not complaining, though. It has made me the person I am. It made me courageous in ways superman wouldn’t understand. Mostly, it has taught me to never give up. Even when the water was rising and it seemed I would drown, I fought, and survived.

My eyes eased open. The yellow light flooded my pupils and made them tiny, needle-sized, black dots. The ground shifted under me like the waves of the ocean. Gently, my body waved back and forth. Was I drugged?

Since my eyes were useless, I tried to use my other senses to assess my surroundings.

A ticking clock, somewhere on a wall, clicked the seconds away. Over me, I could hear a distant hum from the lights. I had a latent awareness of danger. My nerves danced and twitched. I struggled to discern the reason from my muddled brain.

The sound of fabric rubbing against something hard triggered my head to whip around, which also made the swaying worse. My eyes struggled to focus through the blinding light.

Someone else was in the room, draped across an uncomfortable-looking, gray chair. Blonde hair, almost white, fell across the girl’s face. Her head hung off the arm of the chair in an uncomfortable way. One of her arms hung lifelessly off the edge and jerked slightly.

This was not my small apartment. It was unfamiliar, definitely not a room I had ever been in before.

About the Author:I began writing many years ago and put it aside to raise a family. I put myself through college working toward a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, which I have almost completed. I took every writing class that was offered and finally put pen to paper after dreaming of completing a novel for almost twenty years. In the meantime, I worked as a freelance journalist for a local newspaper briefly and wrote a personal blog while living in south Florida. I currently work as an Instructional Designer based in Austin, Texas. I am a mother of four and truly believe they are my greatest creation! Two of my children inherited my love of writing and I encourage them to write every chance they get!

Hello! Before I bake some pies for the kids for our Thanksgiving dinner, I wanted to drop by and say thank you once again for the giveaway. Anyone celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Review Star Rating Definitions

1 Star – We currently do not review any story with a 1 star rating. If it’s DNF or a “wall-banger” we decline to review.

2 Stars — Not wonderful, but tolerable. There may be some minor editing glitches but not enough to stop you reading. Not a wall-banger, but nothing you’d re-read. This is a book you would borrow from the library – not buy- and never check out again. You might recommend it to a friend with a mention of the glitches, knowing that something in the plot or story would still appeal to them regardless.

3 Stars — Good. Mostly enjoyable. You made it through and didn’t consider it a waste of time or money. The story was strong enough or the conflict tight enough, so even when the book faltered, it was able to draw you back in and keep you. There’s a chance you’ll recommend it to a friend, but it wouldn’t go on your keeper shelf.

4 Stars — Very Good. You’re glad you were the one who got to review the book. You would probably buy it and would definitely recommend it to your friends. You liked the characters and the plot. The writing style was good and the editing clean.

5 Stars — Great! You would definitely buy this book. You would definitely recommend it to your friends. You really loved the characters and the plot and would consider looking for this authors back list or making her an autobuy. The writing and editing were superb.

LASR Best Book – For a book or story that is truly exceptional. You think about it when you’re not reading it. You wonder what happens to the characters when you finish. You would absolutely buy everything else this author had to offer. The highest praise – and reserved for only a few.

Review Heat Level Descriptions

SWEET: no visual love scenes and no descriptive kissing;

SENSUAL: Contains a high degree of sexual tension, steamy kisses and passionate clinches, but all fully consummated love scenes will be implied, not described, and with the bedroom door firmly closed.

SPICY: Contains actual love scenes and may include detailed descriptions of foreplay and consummation.

HOT: Contains sizzling and very detailed love scenes throughout and graphic, explicit content which may be offensive to some.

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FTC Disclaimer:

Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. On occasion, we review books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.